JDM, Euro and Exotic sports cars   

For the uninitiated, sports cars consist of 3 main categories: JDM, Euro, and Exotic. These sports cars come in a bunch of varying specifications. Let me give you some examples.    

The Renault Megane RS is a 4-cylinder turbocharged, manual, front-wheel-drive Euro sports car.   

Likewise, the Mclaren 720S is a V8 twin-turbocharged, automatic, rear-wheel-drive exotic sports car.   

Last but not least, we have the iconic JDM street-legal rally car – The Subaru Impreza WRX, a 4-cylinder turbocharged, all-wheel-drive sports car that is available in both the manual and automatic transmission.   

The list goes on and on, but you get my intention, don’t you? With dozens of offerings for sports cars of varying specifications, there is always an ideal sports car for you, no matter the specifications you require and whether you can afford it.   

Why 2030?   

Unless you have been living under a rock, you would have encountered the Electric Vehicle (EV) craze surrounding us lately.    

According to the SG Green Plan 2030 (SGP 2030) announced during Budget 2021, we will be looking at significant changes to the status quo. Nope, I am not talking about the rise in petrol duty rates. I am referring to the phasing out of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles by 2040, driven by these three aspects of the SGP 2030:   

1. Cessation of new diesel cars and taxi registrations from 2025   
2. Requirement of newly registered cars to be of cleaner-energy models from 2030; and   
3. All vehicles to run on cleaner energy by 2040

What does it mean for us?   

The SGP 2030, coupled with our beloved COE system, is the perfect formula for phasing out ICE cars in Singapore.    

Unfortunately, this will spell the demise of JDM, Euro and Exotic sports cars alike. From 2030 onwards, the supply of ICE sports cars will be what we currently have in the market. As such, does this mean that the low supply of ICE sports cars drives its market value up?

If you wish to drive your dream Nissan GTR, BMW M4 or Lamborghini Aventador in the future, you better pray hard that its current owner renews its COE. Then again, it would be best to consider the maintenance and upkeep cost required for these ageing cars before purchasing them in the future.

Similarly, manual transmission cars will be phased out eventually. Here's why.

EVs have an electric motor in place of an ICE vehicle’s “engine” by using a single-speed transmission that regulates their electric motor. Except for the Porsche Taycan, which uses a Two-Speed gearbox. As such, EVs come only in automatic transmissions, and the phasing out of existing manual transmission ICE cars means the demise of manual transmission cars.   

Electric Sports Cars   

Yes, they are insanely fast.

Yes, it produces instantaneous torque.

But can we consider them as true-blue sports cars?

Aside from the speed and torque, car enthusiasts also seek the pleasure of high engine revs, the burbling exhaust sound and, most importantly, the liberty to modify various car performance components – None of which an electric sports car is capable of fulfilling.

Furthermore, the single-speed transmission that regulates its electric motor seems like a bore that takes the fun out of driving compared to manual gear shifts or the quick gear shifting of DCT transmissions. 

For those Gen Y & Z car enthusiasts out there, I will do one for you. — Here’s a plea to those of you that currently own any sports car; please renew your COE so that the future generations of car enthusiasts will have a chance to own the car of our (childhood) dream someday.

Last Thoughts

The golden question here is, will a manual (class 3) license still be relevant in the near future? If it is irrelevant and deemed obsolete, this will remove any segregation between the community’s existing “Class 3 vs 3A” mentality. 

If you are unaware of the "Class 3 vs 3A" commotion, read the article below:

---

Thinking of selling your car? sgCarMart Quotz guarantees the highest selling price for your car. We’ll even give you $100 cash if you find a better offer elsewhere! Get a free quote to find out how much your car is worth today!